Savory + Seared Watermelon

Savory watermelon is magic. Bake, then marinate it to create a vegan tuna poke bowl. But if turning on your oven doesn’t sound like a good idea, especially during the warmer months, simply throw it into a hot pan (be careful, water-filled watermelon sputters) to create this savory+seared version.

For this tataki-style appetizer, small slabs of watermelon are seared in a hot pan, which allows the sugars to caramelize on the outside, giving it a beautiful, dark-marbled look all over. You can serve this plain, or drizzled with a little ponzu and ground ginger or sprinkled with a few sesame seeds if you like. Throw some microgreens over the top to finish if you’re feeling fancy.

SAVORY+SEARED WATERMELON

Ingredients

FOR THE WATERMELON

TO SERVE

4 teaspoons ponzu (check ingredients for fish)

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, to garnish

a few pinches of smoked salt

microgreens or chopped scallions, to garnish

soy sauce

Instructions

Preheat the oil in a large, cast iron pan over medium-high for 2-3 minutes, a little less if it starts to smoke. Place the slabs of the watermelon onto the skillet, taking care to watch for any sputtering of the water from the watermelon. Turn the heat down just a bit if there is a lot of sputtering. Allow to sear on one side for about 3 minutes, or until it has a nice color, pressing on it slightly with a spatula. Flip and sear the other sides for 2-3 minutes more, or until they have a nice sear all over.

Transfer to a cutting board, and allow to slightly cool. Cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, and transfer to plates. Combine the ponzu and grated ginger, then drizzle evenly over each slab, then sprinkle with a few pinches of smoked salt. Garnish with a few microgreens or scallions if you like and serve with soy sauce.

Dear Erin,
I can’t remember what I was looking for when I happened to find your recipe, but your seared watermelon completely derailed me. I tried it out and am blown away. This is a really marvelous recipe and I’m working on a blog post with a featured link to your page.
In Arcata, CA, I run a farm-to-desk bicycled lunch delivery service and featured seared watermelon in today’s nori roll. Here’s the menu link https://foodisloveloveisfood.wordpress.com
I’ll be sure to let you know when the blog post is publish. I love your work.
Sincerely,
Rachael